Something There That Wasn't There Before
by Caris August
Summary: Regina hates small talk, but it's even harder with Emma Swan. Especially when the Sheriff is so obnoxiously sunny, the perfect mother for Henry, and drop-dead gorgeous. One chapter Swanqueen


**Hola. Wrote this at work. I work in a museum that only gets five customers a day, what was I expected to do to occupy my time? I've never written Emma, Regina, or Henry before so I apologize in advance for any OOC you might encounter. **

**It was really fun to write this, I must say! If I was more dedicated and not heading off to university in 6 days I might attempt a multi-chapter fic of Swanqueen. **

**Enjoy! Please review and tell me what you think.**

**Disclaimer: ... come on. You seriously think I'm capable of Once? The flattery. **

* * *

Something there that wasn't there before

Regina Mills wasn't one for small talk, not because she didn't enjoy it, but because she had no idea how to partake in it. She couldn't discuss the weather, she hardly knew when it was storming or sunny. It was too trivial to think about let alone discuss. If it was to be raining it would rain, if it was sunny there would be sun. Why did everyone insist on talking about it?

Discussing hair and clothing choice she could put up with. To an extent. After five minutes of debating which hairspray gives the most volume she began to lose her attention span, and patience. Yet, despite her lack of skill in the area of casual conversation she found herself here, in Miss Swan's office, making small talk.

Regina had come to pick up Henry, he had ate lunch with the Sheriff during her dinner break. Of course she didn't necessarily enjoy allowing the two to spend "quality" time together, but she had had earrings to run and Emma was his biological mother. Besides, since the whole portal and being whisked away to the Enchanted Forest incident Regina had grown to tolerate Miss Swan. Maybe even grow a bit fond of her. She did have Henry's dimpled smile. Whatever the case, she had decided that perhaps allowing Henry to spend time with Emma wasn't such a terrible thing after all.

Henry was in the back room, gathering his stuff while Regina sat in the chair across from Emma's desk. Emma was perched in her swivel chair, elbows on the desk and hands on her chin as she gave Regina an awkward smile.

"So..." The Sheriff drawled.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?" Regina asked suddenly, unaware where that had come from. Emma smirked at her, and she shifted uncontrollably under her amused gaze.

"Yup," she agreed, straightening a stack of papers on her desk, "yeah, I love it when it's blowing a gale and raining like crazy."

Regina raised her eyebrows and glanced out the window to her right, sure enough, there was Storybrooke in the midst of a downpour. Emma was grinning at her and Regina found herself smiling sheepishly. "I enjoy the rain..." She mumbled unconvincingly.

"Matches your stormy personality," Emma bit back.

Regina raised her chin defiantly, "Sheriff, that is-"

"I'm just kidding," Emma interrupted.

"Oh."

"I take it small talk isn't your strong point?" The blond asked, her hands folding in front of her on the desk.

"I wouldn't consider myself an expert, no," Regina admitted as she leaned back in her seat, "I rather getting to the point of a conversation."

Emma quipped an eyebrow, "and what is the point, Miss. Mills?"

She smiled at the other woman. Not a friendly smile, almost threatening, "what have you and my son been up to this afternoon?"

"Our son."

Regina waved a hand, "please, referring to Henry as "ours" makes us sound like some dysfunctional lesbian couple."

Emma grimaced at her words.

"My point exactly," she said as she pointed at the Sheriff's disgusted face. "I wasn't trying to insult you, or imply you are any less of a mother than I am to Henry."

Emma's eyes softened.

Regina shrugged, "I just don't want to be associated with you..."

"Hey! I thought you weren't trying to be insulting!" Emma's gaze hardened once again.

"In that way," Regina told her with an eye roll, "you didn't let me finish. I don't want to be associated with you in that way."

Emma looked down. "Oh I get it," she smiled back up at her, "same here, Your Majesty."

Regina sighed, the other woman had been making snide remarks about her past identity ever since they had returned from Neverland. She decided to brush it off, "so how was Henry? You didn't answer me before, you were too busy taking offence."

Emma opened her mouth to retort when Henry pranced into the room and beat her to it. "It was fun," he said as he shouldered his backpack, "We played cards at Granny's. Emma taught me a knew game." He looked at the blond for help. "What was it called? Blackbird or blackcrow or something?"

"Uh..." The Sheriff murmured as Regina eyed her disapprovingly, "yeah something like that."

"Blackjack," Regina stated.

"Yeah!" Henry nodded, "That's it!"

Regina sighed, " You never cease to amaze me, Miss Swan. You taught our son to gamble."

Henry turned to Emma excitedly, "You never said it was a poker game, awesome!"

Emma smirked at Regina as Henry seemed to stare at her with a new found respect. "He loved it," she said and pointed an accusing finger at her, "and I thought you said we can't call him "ours"."

"Wha... why?" The kid asked.

Both adults ignored his question. "We're in private," Regina sighed at Emma, " does it really matter? Come on, Henry, lets get you home."

Henry hugged Emma from where she sat in her chair. Regina watched, there wasn't jealousy in her heart as there used to be whenever Henry hugged the other woman, there was just an odd prick of some long lost emotion. A type of compassion she had forgotten she once possessed. Regina frowned at the feeling and Emma glanced up from Henry's embrace to notice it. Thinking it was negative thoughts from her hugging their son, she gave the kid a friendly slap on the back and pulled away. There once was a time when she would have basked in Regina's jealousy, but she didn't want to go there anymore. As weird as the combination of the three of them were, they were a family. More or less.

"Alright kid," she smiled at Henry, "thanks for coming to visit."

"See you tonight," he waved as him and Regina began to make their way out of the room. Both adults paused.

"What?"

"Pardon me?"

Henry rolled his eyes at them, "I thought you guys would forget; it's Thursday. Family dinner, remember?"

Emma and Regina glanced at each other. "Oh yeah," Emma nodded, "well as long as your mom doesn't mind."

"It's fine," Regina assured quickly without exactly thinking it through. Why, she had no idea. Emma hadn't remembered either, she could have easily blown it off and spent a relaxing evening alone with Henry. She realized suddenly that she didn't want a relaxing evening alone, she wanted Emma there. She wanted her with them. Regina was confused. "I'll make spaghetti," she added, unsure where that came from either.

"My favourite!" Emma grinned at Henry and then shot Regina a thankful smile who nodded silently in response.

"Come on, Henry," she said gently, holding out her arm and wrapping it around him as he walked over to her.

"See you later," Emma waved as Henry exited the room.

"Miss Swan," Regina inclined her head in farewell as she began to close the door.

"Regina," Emma gave a nod in return, her eyes soft. Regina smiled and left the office, for once not giving a damn that the blond called her by her first name.

-::-

Emma breathed in a breath of air and held it before letting it slip back out. She hugged the plastic container against her hip with one arm while she reached out and knocked on the dark wooden door of the former Mayor's home with the other. She had never been nervous coming over for dinner before, but as she danced from foot to foot and bit her thumb she felt about ready to turn around and leave. Emma had no idea why, but as she heard the click of heels approaching the door her stomach clenched. Maybe she was sick?

Regina swung the door open and Emma froze. She was the same woman as always, expressive brown eyes and an aloof face. And at the same time... She wasn't. How come Emma had never noticed how fair Regina's skin was before? Or how her blouse always slipped perfectly into her skirts? Or the length of her legs and the curve to her hips?

"Miss Swan, please remove your fingernails from your mouth," Regina said as she held the door open, "not only is it a terrible habit, but it also makes you look like a 10 year old schoolgirl."

Emma pulled her hand away from her face as if she had been stung. Regina was waiting for a comeback, but when the blond remained silent she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and beckoned her inside. She was even more confused when the plastic container Emma had been clutching was shoved in her hands as the blond passed her.

"Made cookies," the Sheriff mumbled in explanation.

"Thank you?" Regina managed as she closed the front door while Emma shrugged off her leather jacket. She appraised the skinny jeans, leather belt, white tank, and tight v-necked t-shirt as the other woman hung her jacket on the hook on the wall. Regina glanced down at the cookies when she realized her gaze had stared a little too intently on the stitching of Emma's back pockets. She blushed. Maybe she was getting ill?  
As Emma turned towards her Regina righted her features quickly. "And these are edible?" She questioned, pointing to the container in her hands with a smirk and raised eyebrows.

"As edible as my baking will ever get." Emma shuffled on her feet and glanced around the room, "they're safer than your turnovers, lets just put it that way."

"Touché," Regina replied coolly.

The blond swung her arms awkwardly from side to side, " Er- where's the kid?"

"Upstairs."

"Oh."

More silence. Emma looked anywhere but at Regina, acting more like a frightened rabbit than a grown woman and the sheriff of Storybrooke, not to mention the Saviour.

"How was work today?" Regina asked, trying to deviate from all the sudden tension in the room. Tension from what, she couldn't say, but there was a lot of it.

"Good," Emma shrugged.

"That's good."

The blond gestured towards her, "and you?"

"It was good," Regina nodded.

"That's... good."

Emma wanted to smack herself in the head, this was ridiculous. She knew from this afternoon that they both were awful at small talk, but this was a new low. She glanced around as Regina bit her lip.

"Do you want a drink?" The former queen asked.

"Hell yes."

Regina turned towards the kitchen with Emma following close behind. The Mayor's house had always intrigued Emma, despite its size and black and white colour scheme it had always filled her with a sense of home. She supposed this was where her son had grown up, it would make sense that she was drawn to the place he had been raised. It felt weird to stand in the kitchen without Henry, even if he was only upstairs, yet at the same time she still felt at home. Regina rounded the marble island and took two glasses out of the cabinet closest to the fridge. Then she opened the fridge itself and looked back at the other woman.

"Let me guess, whiskey?" She asked.

Emma leaned against the island, "unless you've got vodka hidden in there."

Regina made a face.

"That's what I thought," Emma smirked.

She watched with a smile as Regina pulled the bottle of whiskey out, opened it and poured 1/3 of a glass for each of them. The brunette placed the bottle on the counter instead of putting it away. "Keeping it on hand," she explained and Emma chuckled as she took her cup Regina passed her.

Emma raised the glass to her mouth and tipped her head back as liquid burned down her throat. She placed the empty cup back on the counter with a soft clink, not even cringing at the taste. She almost laughed at Regina's wide-eyed expression. Emma flicked her glass with her finger and the sound of reverberating crystal filled the air. "I think I need another drink," she stated with a grin.

Wordlessly, Regina took the glass and refilled it for her. She passed it back to Emma, but held onto it cautiously, making their fingers overlap. "I sincerely hope you do not plan on getting intoxicated in my house tonight, Miss Swan," she said, revealing a light smile which let her know she was only teasing.

"In front of the kid?" Emma asked as she hauled her whiskey out of Regina's grip and sipped it slowly this time, "Nah, I'll wait till he goes to bed."

"Wise choice," the other woman turned towards the stairs. "Henry!" She called, "Your mom is here!"

Regina turned back around to find Emma staring back at her in wonder and surprise. "What?"

Emma shook her head in slight disbelief, "You called me "mom". Usually you go for "sheriff" or "Miss Swan" or anything besides "mom" when you talk about me to him."

To be honest, Regina had made the slip purposefully. She felt Emma deserved to be referred to as Henry's mother as she had mentioned earlier in the station that day. However, she didn't think Emma would comment on it. Regina shrugged as she began setting out utensils for dinner.

"Well, you are his mother, are you not?"

This couldn't be the same Regina Mills that made a habit of ripping out people's hearts for amusement. Emma knew the former queen had changed, but this differentiation in personality was an extreme she didn't know existed. It caused her to be suspicious.

Emma warily raised an eyebrow as Regina glanced back when she hadn't responded. "Do you want something, Regina?" She asked slowly.

The other woman tensed at her comment, "I'm sorry Sheriff, I didn't know it was a crime to show compassion."

"It's not!" She shot her hands up in surrender, "It's just weird coming from... well, you and being directed towards me."

Regina smirked, "Trust me, I know." She took out three plates and cups, setting them down gently in front of her. She looked up at Emma with a mix of a smile and a frown gracing her features. "I've done enough evil for a lifetime, Miss Swan, it's only logical that with the rest of my life I should attempt to justify my wrongdoings with good. If only to ease my own conscience," Regina handed Emma the plates and cups, lifting her chin high and casting the blond a smile. Emma watched as it faltered on her lips, "And so the only thing I want from you, Sheriff, is to take these out to the table."

The whole situation was odd, that she couldn't deny, but Emma felt a tug on her heart. Regina was trying to be civil, not because of some hidden motive, but simply because she wanted to be. In a weird way, it was really endearing to see the former queen struggle with the simple gestures of being friendly. It brought out a side that Emma knew only Henry had seen to this point and for a brief second she felt a swell of pride in receiving it as well. Then there was the overwhelming feeling that she was walking on eggshells, not wanting to ruin this moment.

"Seems like an easy enough job," Emma grinned and winked as she turned towards the table and set the dishes down neatly.

Regina watched the blond stretch to set up Henry's spot across the table, lean muscles under her black t-shirt reaching and flexing subconsciously. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she heard Henry clambering down the stairs. It was incredibly innocent yet she still felt as if she had almost been caught in some forbidden act.

"Hey kid," Emma greeted, tucking her hands in her back pockets as Henry came into the dinning room.

"Hey yourself!" He smiled, his usual bright personality intensified beyond normal by the fact that both his mothers were present in the same room and not biting each other's heads off. He marched directly to the stove, where the spaghetti sauce was steaming slowly over a burner and sniffed deeply. "Mm," he reached out with one finger, but Regina batted it away.

"That's rude," she scolded gently, lifting her hand and tousling Henry's hair. He stuck his tongue out at her, but smiled when Regina hauled him close. She looped an arm around his chest and hunched to give him a loose hug from behind; forgetting Emma was in the room, she glanced up to find the blond eyeing her curiously and with a small smile.  
She cleared her throat and straightened up, not wanting to appear too open. "Well, Henry's hungry. Should we eat?"

"Im starving," Emma answered with a nod, grinning at the two of them. Regina still had her hand resting on Henry's shoulder, both not seeming to notice. As Regina passed her a plate and began dishing out Henry's spaghetti Emma dared to believe that maybe the three of them could be something close to a family. There was a certain way they functioned together now that was different from before. A mutual respect between herself and Regina, and a pretty equal love for both of them from Henry, and it made being with her son and his adoptive mother easy.

She stepped up to the stove after Henry went to take his seat. Emma had noticed the smell of the spaghetti sauce the moment she had entered the kitchen and she couldn't help but copy her son and reach for the pot with one finger. Since Regina hadn't expected the Sheriff to stick her hands in her cooking she wasn't paying much attention, but once she noticed Emma's finger had plunged into the red sauce she swatted at her arm.

"Rude!" She growled, just like she had for Henry and Emma smirked as she slipped her finger into her mouth like a spoiled kid.

"Mmm," she hummed in appreciation as Regina watched her and rolled her eyes. "No seriously!" Emma said as the other woman turned her back, "this is awesome, taste it."

"Miss Swan, I made it, I know what it tastes like," Regina told her as Emma grabbed her by the shoulder and held her in place.

"It's really good, mom," Henry quipped from the table. He now had spaghetti sauce around the corners of his mouth, his food already half gone. "You put your secret ingredient in it?"

Regina smiled, "yeah... I did."

She found Emma eyeing her suspiciously, "it's not apples, right?"

Regina huffed and shot the blond a glare. "No. It's nutmeg."

Emma grinned at her sheepishly and held her hand up in defence, "just checking!" Regina watched as the Sheriff turned back to the pot and had the nerve to dip her finger back in the sauce again.

"Miss Swan!"

Emma glanced at her with big eyes, and brought the finger that was heading towards her mouth down. She stared at it for a moment and then grinned up at Regina devilishly. "Here then," she offered the finger to the other woman, "you taste."

Regina frowned, "Sheriff, you don't know me half as well as you should if you think I'm going to stand here and let you stick your finger in my mouth."

"Oh my gosh, Henry! He's choking!" Emma yelped suddenly. Regina whirled around, guard down immediately as she looked over worriedly at her son. Henry glanced away from his food and up at his mothers with a confused and concerned expression. He was completely content and in the midst of chewing on a meatball.

Regina sighed, the sheriff was a tease, she knew that. "Not funny, Miss Swa-"

She was cut off as Emma took the opportunity while Regina's mouth was open in shock and annoyance to gracefully shove her index finger into the brunette's mouth. She used her other hand to smugly clamp Regina's chin shut and haul her finger back out, it was now clean and just a bit wet.

Regina stood in shock as Emma nonchalantly grabbed her plate and loaded on the spaghetti. "There, how's the sauce, Your Majesty?"

What was she supposed to say? Regina narrowed her eyes darkly, "if you ever try that again..."

"Once was enough," the blond shot her a smirk as she shoved her hip into Henry, making him move down and make room on his side of the table. Regina sat down across from them.

"That was incredibly childish, you know."

Emma shrugged, "you expect anything less?"

"Not really," Regina admitted as their eyes met across the table, battling with each other. Not how they used to hold silent staring contests based on detest and hatred, rather this was each woman examining the other. Emma was goading her on and Regina suddenly didn't want to back down. Call it friendly competition. A spark that was absent before.

"Isn't it good though, mom?" Henry asked her suddenly.

Regina looked over at him, forgetting he was sitting right beside Emma. She thought about the blonde's finger mixed with the red sauce, it hadn't tasted like anything but spaghetti sauce. Emma's nail had scrapped against her tongue unpleasantly. However, Regina could have sworn that Emma's eyes had darkened briefly in that moment, gaze fluttering to her lips as she had watched her index slip inside.

She looked over at Emma to find the other woman watching her, waiting for a response to Henry's question. Something about the expression on her face made Regina believe that even though Henry may be, her and Emma were no longer referring to the food. "It was quite nice."

-::-

Henry was on his way to bed; he had delayed his curfew for half an hour, making up excuses about needing a snack and pains in his leg. Both Regina and Emma knew he was faking, but they humoured him for awhile. It wasn't everyday the three of them were together and in a decent mood without any looming pressure to save the fairy tale world, so they took the time to enjoy it.

Finally, Regina gave Henry a light threat of being grounded for a week if he didn't get his butt to bed and even though she had been half joking he took it seriously. He gave Emma and her a quick hug before scurrying up the stairs, Regina followed him and told Emma she would be back in a moment. Putting Henry to bed was still something from his childhood that he allowed her to do.

"Brushed your teeth?" She asked as he climbed onto his twin size bed, hauling the sheets out from where they had been tucked in neatly at the top.

"Yup."

"Washed your face?" Regina pulled back the covers as he slipped between them and then laid them over him snuggly.

"Yup."

"Did you pee?"

Henry glared at her but offered a quick, "yes."

She smiled and leaned down to kiss his forehead, moving the hair back from his eyes. He needed a haircut. "Have a good day?"

He nodded.

"Good," Regina cupped his cheek, murmured an "I love you" to which he mumbled something back along those lines. She stood and made her way to the door, flicking off the lights overhead. "Goodnight."

"Night."

She was half way through closing the door when she heard Henry sit up in bed suddenly, she poked her head into the room as she leant against the doorframe. "What is it?"

"I think I'm going to start calling Emma 'mom' too, is that okay?"

Regina smiled at the concerned look on his face, he was really worried it would bother her and that made her both sad and happy. "She is your mother," she nodded in agreement.

"And so are you," he said softly.

Her heart broke a bit at his reassuring words. "I know, Henry," she said just as gently, "that will never change."

For a moment she thought the conversation was over and Regina almost began to close the door again when Henry asked, "you like Emma now, don't you?"

Regina paused. Did she? She wouldn't lie to Henry about how she felt, the times of lying were over, but she honestly hasn't thought if her view of the sheriff had changed. She consented, that yes, it had. Emma Swan was once the annoying daughter of Snow White who had no idea of her family roots and yet still managed to come marching in and tear apart Regina's life. Now she was the person who had given her Henry. His other mother who loved him just as much as she did, the only other person alive who Regina felt partial to.

"... Yes, I guess I do," she told Henry and herself as well. "Somewhere along the line I realized the reasons why I hated her were not her fault."

"You mean, cause Snow White is her mom?"

Regina nodded into the darkness of Henry's bedroom, she could only see his outline sitting in bed but she knew he was watching her intently. "Grandma didn't mean to hurt you... The book says so."

Regina felt her eyes grow wet as Henry tugged his tattered copy of Once Upon a Time out from underneath his pillow. That book would always be the one wedge between her and her son, it was Henry's bible and listed every sin she had ever committed.

"I know sweetie, I know," she hushed him, "it's just easy to forget..."

Henry pushed the book back in its place and laid back down. Regina could still feel his eyes on her. "I still love you," he whispered, "I'll always love you."

"Thank you."

"Emma said you were a bad person once, but you're not anymore. She said you always had good inside you, but people messed that up and hurt you... So you hurt them." Regina was speechless, not expecting her son to tell her words she needed to hear. Words that he was repeating from the sheriff, of all people. She didn't know Emma thought that, it made her strangely thankful that the other woman knew she had been the result of terrible consequences. It never excused what she had done, but it gave it reason.

"Emma's a..." Regina cleared her throat, " a smart woman."

She could just make out Henry nodding in agreement as he rolled over with his back facing her, "goodnight, mom."

"...Goodnight."

Regina closed the door firmly, and flicked out the light in the hallway as she made her way down the stairs slowly. Now that she had heard what Emma thought of her past she didn't know exactly how to approach the blond who was undoubtedly spread out on the sofa in the living room.

She felt she should thank her, or smile at her, or give her a hug. Instead, as Regina reached the entryway to the livingroom and found that Emma wasn't making herself at home, but was in fact looking intently at the pictures on the wall, she froze in nervousness. Emma had heard her coming and turned around with a shy smile as she pointed behind her, "I like this one."

Regina felt her heart beat slow and walked over to the picture Emma was pointing to. It was a 10 year old Henry and a laid back Regina; he had built a pillow fort in the middle of the room her and Emma were standing in now, and had persuaded her to play with him. They had stayed inside the fort for a good 2 hours. Henry was holding the camera towards himself as Regina sat behind him, chin on his shoulder. He was cross-eyed and she had filled her cheeks with air.

Emma traced Henry's face in the photo, "look at those chubby cheeks, I remember having those."

Suddenly, all Regina could picture was a 10 year old Emma Swan. Blond pigtails, big mischievous green eyes, a crooked smile, and those cheeks... It was adorable. "Granny always used to pinch them whenever we went for lunch at the diner," Regina smirked, remembering how much Henry used to squirm and hate it.

Emma laughed and then frowned as she moved her hand over Regina's face in the photo. "You look really happy."

"I was," Regina said as she watched Emma trace a finger along her picture's chin, she shivered at the thought of Emma touching her face. It wasn't a bad shiver.

"You looked pretty happy tonight too," the blond told her as she turned away from the photo and faced the real Regina.

Regina nodded. I was. "It was surprisingly enjoyable, Miss Swan."

"It's Emma," the other woman pointed out, studying Regina's face with a small grin. "I think we're ready for first names."

There was a brief moment where Regina opened her mouth to reject the idea, to say that, no, they had not reached the place where she felt comfortable speaking to Emma as if she was another human being. But she paused when she realized that without the first names she had been treating the sheriff with nothing but respect and decency the entire evening. Not once had she paused to stop or even notice she was being so... friendly? She supposed that was the word. Emma was correct, they were indeed too close for last name references. They shared a child for goodness sake.

"You have a point," Regina admitted and shot Emma a glare when green eyes lit up, "however, habits are hard to break, Miss Swan."

Emma rolled her eyes, "well, you keep working on it." Her smirk turned mischievous, "I'm going to get another drink, I only said I'd wait till the kid was in bed."

Regina's gaze followed Emma to the kitchen, the blond's hips swaying as she watched. Emma looked back over her shoulder when she noticed there were no footsteps following her. She had assumed Regina would be right behind her, protectively making sure she didn't make a mess of the former mayor's house, but Regina was still rooted in place. "You gonna make sure I don't make a bomb with the whiskey bottle or something?" Emma asked.

She could have sworn Regina's brown eyes held a certain glaze to them, but then she blinked and it was gone. The other woman licked her lips, "of course, that wouldn't be beneath my standards of you."

"Didn't think so," Emma sighed and left the room.

Regina stared at the doorway Emma had just disappeared through, thinking two very uncharacteristic thoughts. First, she hoped Emma Swan decided to stay for a while. Second, Emma Swan was beautiful.

Then she mentally slapped herself and followed the sheriff out of the room.

-::-

The whiskey was gone. And Emma had refrained from stuffing the bottle with tissues and setting it alight. She had wanted to -not inside of course, out in the backyard- but Regina had insisted against it which, she had to admit, was probably the better choice. They were beyond buzzed, Emma knew tomorrow was going to be hell just by the warmth that was blossoming in her chest. Also, the room kept tilting inexplicably.

She hadn't put it past her to get drunk on a Friday night, she had Saturday off and nothing to do but sleep. However, Emma hadn't thought she'd get intoxicated in Regina Mills' study with an equally plastered Regina sitting beside her on the sofa. The brunette had her legs tucked underneath her, last of the remaining whiskey in her glass, and was giggling.

Giggling.

Emma had heard the menacing chuckle, sure, but she didn't know Regina was capable of the school-girl giggle that was bubbling from her lips. Despite how odd it was, Emma had to say it was strangely enchanting, like water falling over smooth rocks. She was sitting Indian style on the other end of the sofa, it was small and their knees kept hitting each other.

"You are incorrigible," Regina told her, shaking her head and making her short dark hair brush easily back and forth above her shoulders.

Emma watched it entranced and smiled crookedly, "you're the one who asked what a blond joke was."

She watched Regina sip her glass gracefully, unsure how she was still so coordinated. Emma was sure if she stood up at this point she would face-plant into the carpet. "That was not a joke, dear," Regina sang, "it was a horrible excuse for a rather stereotypical insult. An insult against yourself none the less!"

Emma frowned, "what?"

She felt a tug in her hair and realized that Regina had leaned forward and was pulling gently on a lock of her wild curls. Her blond hair. Blond joke. "Oh," she laughed and blushed, "eh, it's still funny."

"I suppose," Regina told her, licking her lips unconsciously. Both women became suddenly aware of the amount of space between them. Or lack thereof.

Regina had been staring at her all night with a look that was anything but hostile. Emma had ignored it at first, believing it was finally the look of respect, but the more they drank the more she noticed it, and the more she returned it. Regina's eyes were wide, pupils dilated with alcohol, and the brown irises swirled up at her invitingly. Emma felt her heart jump; she wasn't gay, but she couldn't help admitting that in that moment she was more than attracted to Regina. Maybe she wasn't plain straight either? All Emma knew was that Regina was so close, and wasn't leaning away.

Her staring fell to perfect, dark pink lips. "I-I..."

Regina hadn't released her hold on Emma's curl, she wrapped it around one finger as she stared at the other woman in confusion. She had drank too much, her sober self would have never brought herself this close to the sheriff, but now that she was here she couldn't lean back. Emma's hair glowed softly in the lamp light, her eyes were curious and hazel, and she looked suddenly very torn. She resembled some type of troubled princess, which was exactly what she was. "What is it?" Regina asked in a whisper, noticing Emma's stutters.

"I want..." She gulped as her words died off and bit her bottom lip. She stared wonderingly at Regina before continuing. "I want to kiss you."

Regina stared with wide eyes at the sudden confession.

"I won't," Emma rushed, "I won't, it's not right. We're drunk, and we have a kid, and I'm the Saviour and you're the Evil Queen... were... you were the Evil Queen. I just, I think I always wanted to and never really thought about it, but now I'm thinking about it. And I'm thinking it would be perfect... but I won't. I just... I want to."

Emma didn't break eye contact, but looked incredibly nervous as her cheeks coloured a soft pink. Regina felt her chest clench and realized her heart was feeling something it hadn't felt in so long. A completely foreign desire, a want that she had believed died with Daniel. It was more intoxicating than the alcohol. "I..." She breathed, her hand moving from Emma's hair to her cheek. The blond watched on warily. "Emma, you're beautiful."

It was Emma's turn to widen her eyes in shock. She hadn't thought it was possible for Regina to whisper something like that, especially not to her. Especially not coupled with her first name. She decided she loved the way it slipped off the brunette's tongue.

"I want..." Emma murmured as she reached out and ran a fingertip along the scar above Regina's mouth, "can I..."

The question was never finished, but Regina found herself nodding in silent agreement anyway. Both women moved at the same time, Emma pushing upwards as Regina moved down and they met somewhere in the middle with Regina half laying on top of the blond. Their noses brushed and their breaths mingled, both staring in disbelief at the other.

Regina felt Emma shift beneath her, watched her head tilt to the side. Soft lips pushed against her own timidly, just long enough to feel, and then they disappeared. The anticipation was too much and Regina took Emma's face in two hands and guided her swiftly back to her mouth as her eyes flickered shut.

Her world rocked unsteadily on its axis as Emma's wet mouth slid against her own. Common sense all but flew out the window as she felt the blond's hands slip around her neck, one gliding through dark hair and the other pulling her closer. Regina collapsed on top of Emma, drunkenness keeping her from worrying about squishing her. The other woman made a soft "hmph", but other than that simply held her tighter. Searching kisses soon turned heavier, and Regina gasped quietly when she felt Emma's tongue run along her top lip. She returned the action and felt as well as heard Emma moan beneath her, squirming slightly.

Her leg slipped between Regina's and pressed upward into the V where the former mayor's pant legs met. It was an accident, but Regina still felt the pang of arousal brought on by the friction. "E-Emma," she yelped and couldn't help but rock her hips into Emma's thigh. Their mouths still brushed together as Regina opened her mouth in a small "o" and Emma stared at the brunette as she moved in time with the woman's hips.

Regina groaned and Emma swallowed it with an open-mouthed kiss, her tongue slipping inside and exploring briefly before Regina pressed her own heatedly against it. Hands were fisting and clenching as fingers crept down shirt hems. Regina had just run a hand along the smooth expanse of her stomach when a crash sounded above Emma's head.

Both women glanced over in confusion to see that the vase on the coffee table beside the couch had fallen and shattered across the floor. Somewhere in her fogged brain she sighed with relief that it hadn't been Henry finding them sprawled across the sofa. That would have been more than awkward to explain. Regina looked down to find Emma staring at her with a sheepish smile on her kiss-swollen lips.

"That might have been my fault..." She said, glancing towards the remains of the vase. "I kind of lifted my arm and it-"

She was shut up as Regina pressed her mouth against hers, she leaned back and smiled coyly at the blond. "I hated it anyway," Regina told her, cupping a blushing cheek.

Regina knew that if the vase hadn't fell they would have more than likely participated in more than just a make out session. She wanted Emma, that much was obviously clear to both of them after letting the blond kiss her senseless. It would have been so easy to give in, to strip her bare right there on the sofa. She probably would have if not for the distraction, and that scared her. Never had she wanted something to such a degree. Except the curse of course. And Henry.

"Probably good it fell when it did, huh?" Emma asked, thoughts mirroring her own and shifting beneath her.

Regina sighed, "probably for the best."

She felt Emma move uncomfortably, knowing the other woman wasn't sure if she should try to get up or stay put. Regina made her mind up for her and pressed herself against Emma, not in a lusting way, more as if she was relaxing on her bed. She had to admit though, when Emma untensed and threaded fingers into her hair, that Miss Swan was a much better mattress than the one upstairs. Her cheek fell against her chest and she felt the still racing thuds from the other's heart. Regina played with the sleeve on Emma's shirt as she felt an arm circle her waist loosely.

"What happens now?"

"I have absolutely no idea," Regina chuckled

Emma frowned, "too bad there's not a step by step guide for what to do after you make out with your son's adopted mother."

Regina grimaced at Emma's words, "really, dear? Making out? That makes us sound like two incompetent teenagers."

She placed her chin between the valley of Emma's chest and watched as Emma thought. "Well, fine, sucking face... Whatever."

"You cannot be serious."

Emma shrugged, "eating each other?"

Regina blanked and paled at the unintended innuendo that apparently only she noticed. "You're drunk, Miss Swan," she announced.

"So are you!" Emma exclaimed and poked her in the ribs. Regina flinched at the jab. "Didn't think I'd ever see it, but it's true."

"Don't get used to it, dear."

She watched Emma sigh, "its too bad, I like this Regina."

"Emma..." Regina rolled her eyes, chin still resting on the blond.

"Its true though!" Emma paused briefly in thought, her fingers playing absently with the flipping ends of the other woman's hair. She glanced down at Regina with a smirk, "lets get drunk every Friday."

Regina almost snorted at the seriousness in Emma's request and then softened her voice, "and what would become of that? Sneaking around once a week to temporarily please ourselves? That's living a lie, and trust me, it's no way to live."

They stared at each other, Regina challenging Emma while Emma searched for something to say that would contradict what she had just said. Brown eyes bored into hard green.

"Then lets not sneak around."

Regina gaped, she began to protest frantically with words like "I'm not", "this isn't", "we can't", and Emma hurried to explain herself.

"Not like that!" The blond corrected, holding the brunette's arms firmly. "Not like we're together or anything! That's too crazy for even me to think about right now... Besides, a relationship that started from one night of drunk kissing is pretty much doomed to fail."

Regina managed a smirk. "Doomed," she repeated.

Emma nodded with a smile. She tucked a piece of hair behind Regina's ear and turned suddenly incredibly serious. "But I do want to stop pretending. I like you," she shrugged, as if liking Regina Mills was unavoidable. Which, to Emma Swan it indeed was. "I don't get excited to see just Henry anymore, I get excited to see you too. I want to spend time with you..."

"You want to... be friends?" Regina asked, very puzzled.

Emma grinned and indicated their current position. Regina was still laying on top of her comfortably, except now she had an elbow propped up and supporting her head. "I think we're a bit more than friends, Miss Mills."

"...It seems so," the other woman murmured, running a fingertip along the inside of Emma's arm. Goosebumps erupted at her touch and Emma breathed in unexpectedly. Regina raised her eyebrows and questioned, "so you want to have... dates?"

The blond beneath her laughed, bringing a hand up to tuck under her own head. They stared at each other briefly before Emma brought Regina's head back down with a hand along her neck, meeting little resistance. Lips met again, gentler than before. Sweeter, taking their time. Drunk minds clouded out the embarrassment and idea that they were "making a mistake". Their sober selves may have jumped to that conclusion, but all Regina could think was that something that felt this good couldn't be a mistake.

She pulled back after a short while, not wanting to go where they had been before. Their foreheads met softly. "Good call," Emma admitted in a husky voice.

Regina realized how flushed she felt at that moment. There was a blush in her cheeks as she saw the blaze in Emma's eyes. The darker shade of green that marked Emma's wants and unspoken thoughts.

"So dates?" Regina asked, clearing her throat when her words clogged together.

Emma smiled, the intensity in the room toning down a bit. "I don't know, I just want to see you more."

"You see me almost everyday."

The sheriff shrugged, "without Henry." Emma noticed how her words sounded and jumped to correct herself. "I love Henry. I love spending time with him and you together, like tonight. When he's around it feels like..."

"Family?

Emma's gaze shone brightly, "exactly. But..." She paused and smirked as she ran a hand along the collar of Regina's shirt, dipping her fingers down as she went so that they brushed against warm skin. The former mayor closed her eyes momentarily. "I want to spend time with his mother too." Regina felt Emma's breath in the shell of her ear. "Alone."

"I think th-that can be arranged," Regina stuttered, pulling back to create some needed distance.

"Good!" Emma grinned, her innocence back in place. Regina rolled her eyes at the smug look gracing the sheriff's features. "How about this Friday? We could hit the Rabbit Hole."

Emma watched Regina sneer in disgust at the mention of the local bar. "I will not go within ten feet of that orgy-ridden place, let alone 'hit it'."

The blond laughed, "I think you have a totally messed up view of what happens at a bar..."

Regina shivered at the thought, "Nor do I want to mend that view, Miss Swan."

"So no Rabbit Hole," Emma stated, "alright, I got a back-up plan."

"Which is?"

"Nah uh," she smiled as she played with Regina's hair, "it's a secret."

Emma found, to her complete amusement, that Regina pouted at the withholding of information. She hadn't known the mayor was capable of pouting, then again, she didn't know she could giggle either. She looked like some sugar deprived kid who's mother wouldn't let her buy an ice cream cone. "I want to know," Regina almost whined... almost. It came off more authoritative than a whine.

"You will, on Friday night." Emma nodded and Regina huffed loudly, laying her head back on Emma's chest and refusing to meet her gaze. The sheriff wasn't repelled by the silent treatment, actually she enjoyed it. This was the Regina Mills she knew like the back of her hand. She tightened her hold on the woman above her, drawing her close and she thought she heard Regina sigh happily. "Trust me, 'kay? It'll be the best date of your life, guaranteed."

"So humble," Regina muttered sarcastically, earning a poke in the ribs. "Hey!" She yelped, "watch it, Sheriff!"

The brunette looked up and their eyes met. Emma saw insecurity swirling in the brown orbs before her. "You do trust me, right?" She asked softly.

Regina glanced downwards, pulling at the sleeve of Emma's t-shirt. "It's um... difficult for me to trust anyone, I haven't for so long." She felt Emma's fingers slide across her cheek and she looked back up, "but you're the closest I've come to since-"

"Daniel?"

Regina's eyes squeezed shut in a pained expression. "Yes," she hissed as if even agreeing to it hurt her more than anything.

"Regina, I don't want to replace him," Emma assured her, "I can't, just like you can't replace Neil. But that doesn't mean this can't be something just as good... in its own way."

"Yes, you're right. I believe your right," the other woman nodded solemnly, the insecurity less visible.

"But you got to trust me, alright?" Emma told her gently, holding her by the arms. "That's the only way this is going to work."

"Just don't hurt me, Emma." Regina breathed out on the exhale, tucking her head under the others chin.

Emma smiled sadly at the broken woman beside her, because that's what Regina Mills was: broken. Snapped into a hundred different pieces by so many different people. Unable to trust, and unable to live. Regina wasn't living, she was just existing. The blond hadn't seen the extent of the damage the brunette's past had inflicted until that moment, though she had always believed it was there. It didn't phase her, she still wanted Regina. She wanted the other woman more now than ever, because she knew she could fix her.

"I wish I could promise you that," Emma told her, speaking into her dark hair. "I wish I could promise you everything." That last bit escaped due to her drunken state. She didn't regret it. "But I can promise you I'll never hurt you on purpose."

"Yeah?" Regina asked.

"Yup, and if I do say something stupid or be an idiot then I'll show up with roses and throw rocks at your window till you let me apologize."

She had been expecting Regina to smirk and bite back with a 'please don't' or 'that won't be necessary', instead Regina whispered, "alright."

They were silent for awhile, not moving and both comfortable. Eventually Regina raised her head and examined Emma before saying, "promise me one more thing."

The blond nodded and ran her index finger along Regina's chin. "What?"

"That this 'best-date-ever'" Regina paused to imitate quotation marks with her hands, "will be more than eating my spaghetti, drinking whiskey, and kissing on my sofa."

"It'll be so much better than that, it'll blow your mind," Emma grinned, "but tonight was pretty great too."

"Mm," the mayor agreed. They stared silently at each other before Regina suddenly kissed her gently and muttered against her lips, "aren't you on the graveyard shift tonight, Sheriff?"

Emma blanked and froze. "Oh shit!"

She bolted upright, practically shoving Regina across the couch, her head swelled as she did so and the room spun around. Drunk and late for work, not good. Emma looked at the clock on the wall, it was 12:43. Her shift started forty minutes ago. "Damn it," she growled as she straightened out her shirt and ran her fingers through messy curls.

The mayor sat and watched curiously from the couch. When Emma glanced back at her she was smirking happily.

"Not a word," Emma warned and took off for the porch, almost managing a straight line.

Regina followed her and leant against the wall as the blond shoved on her shoes, heels sticking out. "I could report this you know," she told Emma.

Regina held out her jacket as the other woman shrugged it on hurriedly. "Yeah, and then you're going to have to explain where I was," Emma bit back, standing in front of Regina and biting her lip anxiously.

"I'd just say you were having dinner with Henry and I."

"At 1 am?"

Regina thought briefly, "well I'd add we may have also gotten drunk and had sex on the couch."

The mayor watched smugly as Emma blushed three different kinds of red, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. "We... we didn't have... uh, we didn't have... sex."

Regina snapped her fingers as if remembering, but her intoxication didn't allow the snapping noise to resonate, her fingers slipped against each other awkwardly. "Right, that's for next time."

Emma's mouth formed a perfect 'O'.

Regina smiled and closed the distance between them. "I'm teasing," she murmured as she felt Emma Swan's hands grab her waist involuntarily and bring her closer. She wrapped her arms loosely around the blond's neck. Emma looked back at her, green eyes blazing and still recovering from the mental images that flooded her mind at the mention of sex. Sex with Regina. Oh gosh.

Pushing them aside, Emma ducked down and pressed her lips against the former mayor's. She felt Regina shiver as her hands snuck under the hem if Regina's blouse, brushing against her bare skin. "Maybe I wasn't teasing about the sex on the couch next time..." she whispered, kissing Emma again.

When they pulled apart Emma shook her head. "No couch sex," she told her.

Regina frowned and pouted again, "why not?"

"'Cause," Emma pecked her cheek and tore herself away from the brunette, knowing that if she didn't she'd miss her entire shift. "You're better than that; when we make love it's happening in the bedroom, on a bed."

Regina swallowed at the thought and how Emma casually slipped 'make love'. She grabbed the blond again, this time by the collar of her leather jacket, and kissed her soundly. "I'll hold you to that," she whispered huskily and let go.

Emma stumbled towards the door. She turned the handle and stepped outside, "thanks for supper... and everything."

Regina nodded before stepping forward. "Emma?"

The blond turned back, "yeah?"

"I'll see you Friday?"

Emma smiled. "Don't forget, Best Date Ever!" She fist pumped the sky as she said it, walking backwards and almost tripping over a bush, grinning sheepishly as Regina chuckled. "Pick you up at 8."

And then she hopped into that horrible yellow bug with that tasteless red pleather jacket and Regina thought she had never seen anything more beautiful.

-::-

**There it is! I selfishly hope you loved every second of it! Love the complexity between the two characters, hope I did them justice. Thanks for reading!**

**Yes, the title did come from Beauty and the Beast. I'm classy like that.**

**See that button down bellow that says "review". It does this cool thing that lets you push it and write to me, go on! Try it!**

**- C.A**


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